Buying a light twin
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Great pictures. I've always liked the Aerostar. Good-looking well-designed machine with nice little details, for instance the elevator and rudder parts are the same and interchangable, and the exhaust points backwards for extra speed 
What's that rectangular thing on the windscreen?
What's that rectangular thing on the windscreen?
Join Date: Sep 2006
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How does the Aerostar compare in that regard ? no question as to it's speed and efficiency.
Are your figures representative of twin ownership in the UK? I believe that's the OP's location.
At an FAA safety meeting they said 10% of single engine aircraft with an engine failure accident results in a fatality, 50% of multi-engine aircraft with an engine failure accident result in a fatality.
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Adam Are we going to get another series of articles about your Aerostar ownership?
Going back to the Commander, eh? Please do tell all.
?Your last series was most entertaining and fascinating......pretty please!
Going back to the Commander, eh? Please do tell all.
?Your last series was most entertaining and fascinating......pretty please!
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Read John Frank's Sept 2013 article on parts availability and prices for legacy Cessna aircraft. Note, John is the founder of the Cessna Pilot's Association. Certain parts for the Twin Cessna fleet are almost impossible to get at any price except from salvage yards. John give the example of a main landing gear pivot for a R182 single, cost $1700 in 1990, now lists for $17,000!!!
1411 1309
If you buy a Twin Cessna, it better be in like new condition, or you'll soon spend your inheritance on the care and upkeep. There's a reason they are getting "cheap" on the used market.
At least Piper still makes the Seneca, though you won't haul 6 pax unless you leave a fair amount of fuel behind.
1411 1309
If you buy a Twin Cessna, it better be in like new condition, or you'll soon spend your inheritance on the care and upkeep. There's a reason they are getting "cheap" on the used market.
At least Piper still makes the Seneca, though you won't haul 6 pax unless you leave a fair amount of fuel behind.
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The Bluebook is a great place to start if you want to get a grasp on aircraft prices.
Myself, I'm biased towards the Beechcraft Baron. I flew a B55 quite extensively for some time and while not a beginners twin it's certainly fast and very agile and responsive. The C-model has bigger cg-span IIRC which is a benefit.
I normally cruised at levels in the low hundreds and saw TAS at about 200 knots with a fuel flow of about, again IIRC, in the low 20 GPH total.
I regularly would chase the commuter – to their great dismay – twin turboprops during approach when I was doing 220+ knots in the descent. Speed is easily lost in a Baron (the fly mostly on power...).
Myself, I'm biased towards the Beechcraft Baron. I flew a B55 quite extensively for some time and while not a beginners twin it's certainly fast and very agile and responsive. The C-model has bigger cg-span IIRC which is a benefit.
I normally cruised at levels in the low hundreds and saw TAS at about 200 knots with a fuel flow of about, again IIRC, in the low 20 GPH total.
I regularly would chase the commuter – to their great dismay – twin turboprops during approach when I was doing 220+ knots in the descent. Speed is easily lost in a Baron (the fly mostly on power...).
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Adam Are we going to get another series of articles about your Aerostar ownership?
Going back to the Commander, eh? Please do tell all.
?Your last series was most entertaining and fascinating......pretty please!
Going back to the Commander, eh? Please do tell all.
?Your last series was most entertaining and fascinating......pretty please!
I flew the several different 55 series Barons and never got over 190 knots true, granted they were pretty old but I certainly never got down as low as 20GPH total, that's just not right, I was burning 15GPH / per side.
Furthermore I can't imagine any turboprop you could catch in a Baron or who 'the commuter' is
Furthermore I can't imagine any turboprop you could catch in a Baron or who 'the commuter' is
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I still fly a 55. Usually see 22-24gph in cruise, around 165 TAS.
I have never seen 200 kts in a 55. In a new 58 yes, but at the expense of hugely increased burn.
Maybe it's me but I find the baron a slippery airplane, and one which needs a lot more thought about descent planning than any turboprop I've flown, particularly if caring for the engines properly. Especially the older 55's where the flap limiting speed is very low. Very useful gear speed though.
I have never seen 200 kts in a 55. In a new 58 yes, but at the expense of hugely increased burn.
Maybe it's me but I find the baron a slippery airplane, and one which needs a lot more thought about descent planning than any turboprop I've flown, particularly if caring for the engines properly. Especially the older 55's where the flap limiting speed is very low. Very useful gear speed though.
When time is not an issue I can see where you could get the fuel burn down.
I was flying small freight commercially and we went everywhere flat out, time was very tight and fuel burn was not an issue, in fact we had to punch a time clock when we landed
It was a lot of fun except flying it in all and every kind of weather, I had a lot of respect for the Baron, it could carry a lot of ice and keep going.
I was flying small freight commercially and we went everywhere flat out, time was very tight and fuel burn was not an issue, in fact we had to punch a time clock when we landed
It was a lot of fun except flying it in all and every kind of weather, I had a lot of respect for the Baron, it could carry a lot of ice and keep going.
Baron
Throw the IO-550s on the wings...
